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Editorial: Minnesota fire crews win roses

PRAIRIE ROSES: To the firefighters and other emergency services workers who mobilized to fight the fires in northwest Minnesota, specifically the wind-whipped blazes near Park Rapids and Menahga. The fires, fed by tinder dry forest and grasslands, spread quickly last week. Winds gusting to more than

40 mph made the fight extremely difficult and dangerous. Crews continued in the campaign through the weekend as the promise for thundershowers offered at least some hope the fires could be controlled. Property has been lost to the flames, but no lives. The round-the-clock work of firefighters and support personnel is making a difference.

PRAIRIE ROSES: To the legislators of Minnesota for the civil nature of the marriage equality debate. The issue of same-sex marriage was one of the most personal and emotional ever to face lawmakers. The issue cut across party lines and religious persuasions. The politics of the debate was fueled by regional sentiments and broader civil rights imperatives. What could have been a nasty personal uproar in the Legislature settled instead into a civil, respectful and informative point and counterpoint. No matter how individual Minnesotans feel about marriage equality, they can be proud of the way their representatives conducted themselves during the debate.